Dreamliner coming to Britain on December 13

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Although it was known a flight would depart on a commercial route next month, the date remained unconfirmed until now.

Qatar Airways flight QR 076 will leave Heathrow at 3.05pm on Thursday, December 13, destined for the capital city of Qatar, Doha.

It will be the first time the aircraft has flown a commercial route from Britain, although the Dreamliner has made several previous appearances , including as part of a world tour in April.

The Dreamliner will make a daily departure from London to the Qatari city, although there will be four other flights – not on Dreamliners – plying the same route each day.

Akbar Al Baker, the chief executive officer of Qatar Airways acknowledged that the first long-haul 787 service to London had been in the pipeline for some time, saying he was “delighted with today’s announcement”.

The aircraft, which are considered more comfortable and environmentally friendly than previous planes, have already been in commercial service in Japan for more than a year.

The Qatar Airways plane has 254 seats, and the Boeing 787 also is also known for being lighter and more fuel efficient than aircraft of comparable size. It also has lower cabin pressure at higher altitude and an air purification system designed to make it healthier and cleaner to fly upon.

Several other British airlines have plans to fly Dreamliner planes. They include British Airways, which has 24 of the aircraft on order, Thomson Airways, which plans to introduce a weekly Dreamliner service from London Gatwick to the Thai resort of Phuket in autumn next year, and Virgin Atlantic, which will begin flights with the Dreamliner in 2014.